'It's Not About The Money, It's About The Mission' — John Calamos, $40 Billion Investor, On How Parents Can Raise Driven Kids

“It’s not about the money, it’s about the mission,” said self‑made billionaire John Calamos, founder and global chief investment officer of Calamos Investments.

A Vietnam War veteran and former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, he often draws on his early life working in his family's corner store, saying chores and curiosity matter more than cash when it comes to building character — guidance he believes parents and graduates need amid economic uncertainty.

From Store Aisles To Cockpits

Calamos shelved canned goods in his Greek American family's Chicago grocery before he studied balance sheets. 

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"What I learned from my parents was just a work ethic," he told Business Insider, recalling predawn deliveries and window‑washing gigs. The discipline later "vaulted" him through the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he bounced from engineering to philosophy and economics before earning an MBA.

President John F. Kennedy's 1961 inaugural call to service pushed him into the Air Force, where he flew over 400 combat missions over Vietnam. Cockpit checklists shaped the risk‑managed style behind his 1985 launch of one of the first convertible‑securities funds. 

Calamos Investments manages more than $41 billion across ETFs, mutual funds and private credit. The Calamos Convertible Fund (NASDAQ:CCVIX) reported an annualized 10‑year return of 8.08% as of June this year.

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Mission Over Money Still Resonates

"You don't get out of school now and say, ‘OK, what is the government going to give me?' It’s not what the government’s going to give you, it’s what you can do," he told Business Insider. His April memoir, "The Sky's the Limit," urges teens to wander before locking into careers, arguing that curiosity beats early specialization. 

For parents — especially wealthy ones — the lesson is hands-on. Calamos stocked shelves; today's kids, he said, should tackle comparable chores to feel consequence and pride. "Mission creates the energy; money only measures it," he said, adding that such grounding helps graduates innovate when markets swing and employers tighten belts. 

His memoir, "The Sky's the Limit: Lessons in Service, Entrepreneurship, and Achieving the American Dream," published in April, chronicles his combat missions and career pivots through personal anecdotes and documented moments, reinforcing his "mission first" philosophy.

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New Data Backs Old Advice

Polling suggests younger Americans already prize purpose over pay. Deloitte's "2025 Gen Z and Millennial Survey," released in May, reported that only 6% of Gen Z and millennial workers rank leadership roles as their top goal, with most seeking jobs that offer learning, balance and meaning.

An AP‑NORC poll published last week found 60% of 1,060 teens deem a college degree "very" important, with 70% of girls and 54% of boys agreeing. Many question homeownership, echoing Calamos' warning that resilience must precede riches. 

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